1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved neck support and head restraint device for the helmeted drivers of high a performance racing vehicle or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a race car crashes, usually with another car or against a retaining wall, the rapid deceleration creates a surge of energy many times the force of gravity, commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9cG-spikexe2x80x9d. At the moment of impact, the driver""s pelvis and torso are restrained from continuing forward by a system of harnesses, which typically employ both lap and shoulder straps at a minimum. However, the driver""s helmeted head continues to move forward until restrained by the neck, which acts as the sole tether. When the neck is stretched to its maximum, the base of the skull is subjected to tremendous stress, resulting either in a fracture at the base, or a breaking of the neck. The resulting damage is frequently extensive, and often fatal.
Those skilled in the art have attempted to address this problem by developing devices of the type disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,510 (Hubbard) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,566 (Hubbard). While such devices do provide beneficial head restraint, they do so at a driver performance cost, namely, restriction of freedom of head movement, which many drivers find objectionable.
The present invention is designed for use in a racing environment, where a helmeted driver is restrained in a seat by a harness that includes shoulder straps. The invention provides critical neck support and head restraint only when needed, at the time an emergency occurs, and at all other times, remains in a passive state, allowing a full range of head movement.
In accordance with the present invention, an inflatable collar is configured and dimensioned to surround the driver""s neck at a location between the driver""s helmet and shoulders. The collar is anchored to the shoulder straps of the restraining harness. At least one and preferably two tethers are strategically connected at opposite ends to the collar and the helmet. The collar is normally in a pliable collapsed state, with the tethers loosely extending between the helmet and collar to thereby accommodate relatively unimpeded head movement. In an emergency situation, e.g., vehicle collision or roll over, the collar is instantaneously inflated to a relatively stiff expanded state that tensions the tethers, resulting in the rear portion of the helmet being pulled down against the collar and to thereby provide beneficial neck support and head restraint.